Love after Disaster
by Eline-chan
Summary: A girl loses her family in an accident, Castle takes her in as he and Beckett try to find the one who did it. She tries to get on with her life but meets a rather mysterious boy and realises that disaster is followed by love.
1. Chapter 1

**Why?**

I cheered along but I didn't really care which team would win. My brother's gift for my birthday was actually more for himself than for me but I appreciated it anyway, it was nice to be together as a family. My aunts, uncles and cousins were all standing beside me, cheering along. I heard a sound among the cheering that didn't really fit it, I looked up and saw sparks like firework. I thought of it as a special effect and turned back to the game. After a while I heard a loud creaking sound of metal ripping. I looked up and saw that the roof of the stadium, a mixture of concrete and metal, came crashing down. I yelled and ducked, holding my hands over my head. A deafening noise, screams and the cracking of bones seemed to crush my ears. Then there was a silence, an uninterrupted silence that really terrified me. A silence that told me that I was the only one left alive even though I knew that there could be people like me left, waiting in silence.

I opened my eyes and saw darkness, I reached out to what was in front of me and felt stone along with something cold and wet. I pulled my hand back and wiped it on my shirt as I looked up, seeing nothing but darkness. 'Is anybody there?' Someone yelled, but the words only reached my ears as a whisper. I opened my mouth but no sound came out. I reached out to the stone in front of my again and pushed but it didn't budge. I pushed again and again for half an hour until my arms were about to fall off. I tried once more and to my relief it moved, letting in a small ray of sunlight. 'Did you see that?' I heard a woman say. 'Yeah, maybe there's someone behind there.' A man said. I pushed again and the stone fell over, breaking apart as it hit the ground. 'Are you okay?' The woman asked as she crouched by my side. I looked at her. Her hair was middlelong and brown, the same as her eyes. Behind her stood a man of about the same age as her, his hair was short and brown and he looked at me with pity and worry in his eyes. 'I'm fine…' I said at last as I crawled past the woman and stood up, trying to keep my legs from shaking.

'What about my-.' I turned around to my family's seats and saw nothing but blood coming from underneath a huge concrete block. 'Your family was with you?' The man asked. I nodded as I looked up at him. 'My mom, dad and my little brother. My aunts, uncles and cousins.' I said coldly as I looked at where they once stood cheering. 'Are you hurt anywhere?' She asked. I looked at my hands and arms and realised that the wet substance on the stone was blood. I shook my head and wiped my hands off on my shirt again. 'Come on, let's get you someplace else.' The woman said as she grabbed my shoulders and steered me towards the exit. Countless people with cameras took pictures and made videos of me while saying things like: 'The only survivor.' and 'miracle child.'. She sat me down in the back of a car, got in along with the man and drove away.

She stopped at the police station and got out, I followed her example and got out as well. She waited for me to walk inside and came after me with the man close behind her. She made me sit down in a chair beside a desk and walked off into an office a little further away. The man sat down in the chair and smiled at me. 'Want something to drink? Hot chocolote or tea maybe?' He asked as he stood up. 'Some water, please.' I said, trying to sound polite and humble. 'Coming right up.' He said as he walked away. I appreciated that he tried to sound happy but it didn't come very close to real happiness. The woman came back and sat down as she looked around, presumably for the man. 'I'm detective Kate Beckett. What's your name?' She asked it on a normal tone, not with any pity in her voice. 'Haylee Sade, nice to meet you detective.' I answered as I held out my hand. She smiled and shook it, surprised at my politeness.

'So you were at the stadium with your family, sorry to ask but why?' 'My father and brotehr gave me tickets for my birthday. Tickets so that the whole family could go see the game.' I answered, remembering how my little brother laughed as he gave me the box with tickets. 'When was your birthday?' She asked, I couldn't tell whether she was really interested or just asked me random questions to pass the time. 'Today's my birthday, 05-11-1995.' I saw how she struggled to find the right words, trying to come up with something else than 'happy birthday'. 'Here's a bottle of fresh water for you.' The man said as he held the bottle in front of me, I gratefully took it and drank half of it in a few gulps. 'Thanks.' I said as I put the plastic bottle down on the desk. 'Did you see or hear anything unusual? Someone who acted suspicious maybe?' She asked. 'I heard a strange sound, something that didn't fit in with the cheering. Something like a sharp, high pitched noise. I looked up and saw sparks like firework. I thought they were special effects so I payed it no mind.' I explained.

'Did you see anyone on the roof maybe?' I shook my head, cursing at myself for not looking better. 'Do you have any family we can contact so that you can stay with them?' She asked as she wrote something down on a little note pad. 'No, everyone was at the game.' I answered. She glanced at the man and looked back at me. 'Any friends then?' I shook my head again. 'We just moved here from the Netherlands.' I fiddled with the edge of my shirt and saw how dirty it actually was, I looked up at the woman with a worried expression on my face. 'I'm sorry to ask but do I have to go to an orphanage now?' The words came from my mouth as if it were a torture and I had to try my best not the let my voice shake. 'Well-.' She said. 'No.' The man interrupted her. 'You don't have to go to an orphanage.' Beckett turned to him, part angry and part worried. 'You can stay at my place.' He said, ignoring her. 'Are you sure? I mean maybe I'll be a bother…' I said. 'No, don't worry. You can't be a bother.' He said as he smiled. 'Castle? Can I have a word with you?' Kate said as she stood up. 'Ofcourse.' The man, Castle said as he stood up as well and followed her.

'Hello there.' Two men walked up to me and smiled. One of them was tanned and the other was plain white, the white guy had more hair than the tanned one but it was still short. 'I'm detective Ryan and this is Eposito.' The white one, Ryan said. 'Nice to meet you, detectives.' I saida s I stood up and helt out my hand. They shook it and looked over my shoulder, I followed their gaze and saw that Beckett and Castle were having an argument. 'She already asked you the questions?' Esposito asked as he looked back at me. I nodded. 'How are you feeling?' As Ryan said it Esposito glared at him, indicating that he was asking the wrong questions. 'It's fine, I don't mind.' I quickly said. 'I'm feeling okay. A little tired and,' I gestured at my clothes. 'dirty.' I lied about feeling okay and they knew, how could someone who'd just lost her entire family be okay?

They nodded with a smile and looked over my shoulder again. I turned around and saw Beckett and Castle coming my way. 'Okay, it's settled You can stay with me for the time being.' He said as he smiled. I looked at Beckett, she nodded halfheartedly. 'Come on, I'll take you there so you can take a shower and put on some clean clothes.' He said as he gestured me to come along. I nodded and followed him out.

-Thanks for reading, another chapter next week! Please R&R!-


	2. Chapter 2

**New life and F****alse hope**

He opened the door to his home and walked in, closing the door behind me. 'You're home early.' A young girl with long red hair said as she looked up, she frowned when she saw me. 'Yes, aren't you investigating the stadium case?' An older woman walked in, she looked a bit like an actress and also frowned as she saw me. 'Mother, Alexis. This is Haylee, she'll be staying here for a while. Haylee, this is my daughter Alexis and my mother, Martha.' He introduced them. 'Nice to meet you.' I said as I tried to smile. 'Come along, I'll show you the bathroom.' Alexis said as she shook my hand and led me to a big bathroom, obviously not minding my intrusion. 'You can take a shower here, I'll give you some of my clothes to wear.' 'Thanks.' I said, she smiled and walked away. I silently took my clothes off and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water stream over my body like a cleansing wave.

I got out after 10 minutes and saw a neatly folded bundle of clothes lying on a rack. I dried my body and put the clothes on, glad that they fitted perfectly. I walked out of the bathroom and was greeted by Castle. 'Dinner's ready.' He said as he smiled. 'Oh, thanks.' I said, not sure how to repay his kindness. I followed him to the kitchen and sat down on one of the stools as I looked at Alexis and Martha. 'Can I help with something?' I asked as I saw Alexis struggling with a pickle jar. 'Oh no. I got it, don't worry.' She said as she put in some more effort. They served dinner, I didn't really recognise what was on my plate but it tasted great and I was pretty hungry so I finished in about 5 minutes. 'You must've been starving!' Martha said as she saw how my plate was empty before she even started. 'Not starving but pretty hungry.' I said as I grinned.

'It was delicious, thanks.' I said when everyone had finished. I picked my plate up and brought it to the sink but Castle took it out of my hands before I got very close. 'Did I do something wrong?' I asked as I saw the serious look on his face. 'No ofcourse not but we have a dishwasher.' He put on a smile again, another fake smile. 'A dishwasher, right.' I said as I looked at the machine filled with plates and cutlery. My attention was drawn by a ringing phone on the table and I walked that way. 'Mr. Castle, your phone's ringing.' I said as I handed him the phone. 'Please don't call me mr. Castle, that makes me sound so old.' He said as he answered it. 'Really? Okay, we'll be right there.' He said as he put the phone in his pocket and looked at me. 'Seems like Beckett needs you.' He said as he turned. 'Got to go, see you tonight.' He turned to me again and led me out the door.

We arrived at the station for the second time today and walked in. 'You look a lot better.' Ryan greeted me, I smiled in response and thanked him. 'Come along. We have some sounds that we want you to listen to, maybe you can tell us which one you heard.' I nodded and followed him to a desk where he sat down behind a computer. He clicked a button and a sound came out of the speakers. 'Not this isn't it. It was less sharp.' I said. 'Okay, less sharp.' He said as he scrolled and clicked again. A sound that was very much like what I'd heard came from the speakers. 'Almost. It was high at first but then went lower.' 'Ah, this one then?' He clicked another button and the exact same sound as I heard pierced me like a knife. 'Yes, that's it.' I said briefly as I looked at the sound's name. 'Diamond saw.' I said as I remembered how my dad had one in the shed by our house though he hardly ever used it.

'Then we've got our murder weapon.' Esposito said as he wrote it down on a whiteboard underneath a timeline. 'Could you come with me, Haylee?' I turned around and saw detective Beckett. 'Yeah, sure.' I said as I followed her down some stairs. 'This might be a bit hard for you but I need you to identify your family's bodies. You think you can do it?' I nodded confidently as I followed her into a cold room, several tables with covered bodies stood in the middle of the room. 'Hello, I'm Lanie.' A tanned woman greeted me. 'Haylee Sade, nice to meet you.' I said, keepin gmy eyes on the blankets. 'It'll be over before you know it. Just say yes or no or just nod.' Lanie said as she walked over to the first table, I stood beside it and looked at the shape. She lifted the blanket, revealing the scarred face of a young boy who I recognised as my little brother. 'Yes, my brother.' I said as I looked up at her. She covered the body and moved on to the next table, I followed her and noticed that this shape was much bigger. She moved the blanket, a woman's face lay quietly on the cushion as if she were sleeping. 'My mother.' I said briefly as I looked away. She moved on to the next table where I recognised my father. Then my uncle, cousin, aunt, cousing and so on until we got to the last one.

A young man, possibly in his twenties lay on the cold steel. He didn't look injured at all but I figured that the cause of death was probably beneath the blanket. 'I do remembre him but he's not family.' I said as I remembered how he bumped into me and apologised with a smile. 'Okay, that's it thanks.' Lanie saida s she put the blanket back and smiled. 'When will I have to start with funeral preperations?' I asked detective Beckett as we walked out. 'Funeral preperations? You don't have to worry about that.' She said briefly without looking at me, obviously remembering something that heppened to her sometime but I didn't want to bother her by asking what it was and just followed her in silence.

The funeral was three days later, on a Sunday. I'd gone to my house to get some things and still lived with Castle. I put on some dark jeans, a shirt and a black jacket. I didn't really care much about clothing, it wasn't a fashion show after all. The pastor cited verses from the Bible abou forgiveness and about how God would welcome them into Heaven. I let a singel tear as he said: 'Please take these souls, Lord, and make sure that they will suffer no more.'

'You okay?' Alexis asked as she walked beside me. 'Yeah, thought it'd be worse.' I said. Alexis and I had become good friends in the three days, turned out that we like the same things and had the same kind of humor. 'Want to get some ice cream when we get home? To eat away all the sorrow?' She said as she smiled. 'But I'll get fat if I do that too often.' I said as I grinned and looked at her. 'We'll train it back off.' She sat in the backseat of the car and closed the door, I got in on the other side and did the same. 'I'm tired.' I said as I looked at the ceiling. 'You haven't slept well the past few days, have you?' 'No, I'd just wake up in the middle of the night, sweating and panting. I have no idea why and I can't remember what I dreamt of so that doesn't help much either.' I answered as I rubbed my eyes.

A series of flashes pulled me out of my relaxed moment and made me shoot up. A bunch of photographers stood by my window, pressing the buttons like madmen. Castle got in the car, started it and drove away as fast as he could. 'You're even more famous than me!' He said as he avoided one that stood in the middle of the road. 'And I don't like it at all.' I said as I looked at them over my shoulder. We got back to his house, got out the ice cream and sat down on the couch. 'So that's the mentality of today's youth?' Castle said as he threw his arms up. We looked at him, then at eachother and laughed.

'Wake up!' Alexis' happy face greeted me. 'Good morning to you too.' I said as I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. 'Beckett says that they got a suspect, you can got the the station to be with the interrogation.' She said as she walked to the closet and threw some clothes at me. 'Really?' I said, still half asleep. 'Hurry up!' She said as she pulled me out of bed and walked out. 'Okay okay, give me a minute.' I said as I yawned and got dressed. Alexis pushed me out of the front door, Castle was waiting in the hallway with a big smile on his face. We walked to the car, got in and drove off. 'I actually dreamt about this tonight.' I said as we stopped in front of the office. 'How did it end?' He asked as we got out and walked inside. 'I don't know, Alexis woke me just before they told me.' I said, having a bad feeling about this. 'In here.' Esposito said as he opened a door to a small and rather dark room. There was a big window that allowed us to look at the interrogation. Beckett was in the room along with a tattood man of about 40, he had a scared expression on his face. 'You recently bought a diamond saw and you're an employee at the stadium. Tell me why you did it.' She said as she looked at him. 'I work at the stadium, I'm the janitor and I bought the saw so that I could do some chores at home. I was in the janitor's closet, I didn't do it!' The man said, his voice shaking. 'What were you doing there?' Beckett asked. 'I… I was inventorising the cleaning supplies.' He said. 'He's telling the truth, he didn't do it.' I said. 'How do you know for sure? Maybe he's lying.' Ryan said. 'All people have a twitch when they lie, a small moving of the hands or a blink of the eye. He's got nothing.' I said as I walked out, filled with disappointment. 'But he was there at the time.' Esposito followed. 'Have you looked at the takes from the surveilance cameras yet?' 'No, they haven't sent them over yet.' Ryan said as he stood beside him. 'He'll be where he says he was although he wasn't really inventorising cleaning supplies.'

Beckett came to Castle's house the day after. 'It checks out. He was filmed going into the janitor's closet with a woman who didn't look much like his wife. How did you know?' She asked as she turned to me. 'He had the same expression on his face as my dad when my mom questioned him about 'working late' almost every night. She forgave him in the end when she'd made sure that he wouldn't make that mistake again.' I said as I grinned. 'Oh right, Castle, CS will be visiting tomorrow.' 'Thanks for letting me know.' He said as he led her out the door and closed it. 'Child services.' He said as he saw me frowning. 'But you heard about that already, didn't you?' 'I have no idea what you're talking about.' I lied. 'Don't worry, I used to eavesdrop on conversations too.' He said as he walked to the couch and sat down. 'You think they'll ever get the one who did it?' I asked as I sat down as well. 'They will. Beckett will. She's New York's best detective after all.' 'Yeah, she is.' I said as I looked out the window.

The doorbell ran around noon the next day, right when we were having lunch. 'We're here to see how miss Sade is living.' One man said. Upon hearing my name, I leaned back in my chair and looked at Alexis. 'She silently asked me who they were. 'Child services.' I whispered in her ear. She nodded understandingly. 'Sure, come in.' Castle said as he let the two men in, they were both dressed in fancy suits and were both wearing awful but expensive colognes. 'Miss Sade?' One asked as he walked up to me. I stood up and nodded as I held out my hand. 'Haylee Sade, nice to meet you.' I said as he shook my hand, the other followed and repeated what I'd just said. 'We'd like to ask you some questions in private. Is there a room we can use for that?' The other asked as he looked at Castle. 'Yes ofcourse.' He said as he walked out of the room, the men following him closely. 'Good luck.' Alexis said as she smiled. 'Thanks.' I turned the corner and followed them into a small room.

'I'll be right next door if you need me.' Castle said to no one in particular as he walked out, closing the door behind him. 'Okay. Haylee Sade, currently 16 years old and native to the Netherlands and the Dutch language. Correct?' 'Yes, correct.' I answered politely. 'Your parents and all other relatived died on 05-11 recently. Correct?' 'Correct.' I said coldly. 'Has been living with Richard Castle since then. Correct?' 'Correct.' 'That was just to check if our information was correct.' The other one said, giving me the impression that 'correct' was one of their favourite words. 'How do you like it here?' One asked. 'I like it here very well, everyone has been really kind to me and they have helped me with my English studies. I wouldn't be able to talk English this well if it was not for them.' I said, dramatising so badly that I thought it might be a little too much. 'And you're eating well?' 'Yes, Alexis is the best cook.' I said, speaking the absolute truth. 'And you have everything you need here?' I nodded. 'I have my stuff here and I have books to read, games to play and people to talk with. Everything I need.' The men looked at eachother as they nodded and walked out. I quickly followed them and watched as they stopped in front of Castle. 'There is no doubt about it that this girl lives in a good and educative environment. Please keep up the good work.' They said as she walked to the door and left.

'How did you convince them so soon?' Alexis asked amazed. 'I think I had them when I said that without your guidance I wouldn't be speaking English now.' 'You lied?' Castle asked. 'No. Because I talk to you guys daily I instantly learn better pronounciation and vocabulary.' I explained as I sat down beside her. 'Nicely done.' She said as she laughed.

-Thanks for reading, another chapter next week! Please R&R!-


	3. Chapter 3

**A Mysterious M****eeting and Gifts**

Snow came late this year but it did grant us a white Christmas which made me more than happy. 'I'm going out for a bit, see you later.' I said as I put on a scarf and some gloves and walked out. I walked to the central part of the city to buy some presents for everyone and to go visit my family's graves so that they wouldn't be all alone on Christmas. I bought a bracelet for Alexis, a scarf for Martha, a cookbook for Esposito and a pocket game for Ryan. For Castle's gift I wandered around until I passed a bookstore, realising that the perfect gift for a writer was a book. I entered it and looked around, amazed by the book-filled shelves. 'Looking for something specific?' A man asked as he walked up to me. 'Do you have any really old detective books?' 'We certainly do. What year did you have in mind?' 'I don't really mind as long as it's a good detective from before 1900.' I said as I followed him.

'Before 1900?' He asked surprised. 'Yes, I think he'd like that.' 'If you go through that door then you'll find some old books, come back when you've made a choice.' The man said as he pointed to a door that said: 'No unauthorized people'. I walked in and saw a massive storage of old, dusty books that were all categorised by genre. 'Detective, let's see.' I said as I moved to the detective shelf and carefully pulled out some books. The titles had faded off most books and I only recognised half of the authors like Agatha Chritie and Sir Conan Arthur Doyle. 'Older than this.' I said as I put the books back and realised that the shelf was ordered by years, from oldest to newest. 'So left should be the oldest.' I said as I looked at the books and pulled some out. 'Puppet's Play.' One book's title read. I opened it but couldn't find the name of the author anywhere. I raised my shoulders and read the first page, instantly captivated by the exciting story.

I read on for hours and hours until the man came into the room. 'Have you decided? I'm closing.' He said as he smiled. 'Oh, yes. This one please.' I said as I handed him the book and put the others back on the shelf. 'That'll be $10,- please.' He said as I arrived at the counter. '10 Dollars? You sure?' I asked surprised as I felt in my bag, searching for my wallet. 'Very sure. The author to this book is unknows so that automatically decreases its value.' He said. 'Here's 10 dollars and thanks so much, I'm sure that he'll like it.' I said as I took the bag with the festively wrapped gift in it from the man and smiled. 'Have a merry Christmas.' He said as he closed the shop door behin dme. 'You too.' I said as I waved. 'Now, to the graveyard.' I said as I made my way to the graveyard on the outskirts of town. It was dark when I got there and I sighed relieved when I realised that there were lights around the graveyard which made it all a little bit easier. I crouched down to wipe the snow off their tombstones. 'There you go. Merry Christmas guys.'

I stood back up but was immediately pushed down again, my face being pressed against the cold and snowy ground and my arms held behind my back. 'Hello there little missy, why don't you come along and have some fun with us.' A male voice said, followed by laughter due to which I knew that there were three other people. 'No, go away!' I said as I tried to break free. 'No can do. We're very lonely and you ought to keep us company.' Another said as he knelt down in front of me. Suddenly the pressure that was holding me down disappeared and the guy in front of me fell down. I coughed and slowly got up to see what just happened. 'Need a hand?' A boy asked as he reached out his hand to me, I took it and felt how he pulled me up wihtout too much effort. He was of my age, probably a little older with tousled brown hair and eyes that looked like liquid silver. I looked at the four men, they all lie bleeding and groaning on the ground. 'Did you do that?' I asked with disbelief. 'Yeah, that was no way to behave at a graveyard and no way at all to treat a lady. Especially during Christmas.'

'Thanks, I really thought that I'd get assaulted in front of my family's graves.' I said with a shaky voice. 'Visiting your family?' He asked curiously. 'Yes, my parents, little brother, aunts, uncles and cousins.' I said as I pointed at the row of graves. 'Sorry, I didn't know th-.' 'It's fine, don't apologise.' I said as I smiled. 'You visiting family as well?' I asked as I felt my shoulder only to realise that it was dislocated. 'Yeah, I'm visiting my grandparents. They died a couple of years ago and my parents rarely visit so I just go to wish them happiness during the holidays.' He said as he pointed at some graves al ittle further away. 'That's sweet. I just wished them a merry christmas too but it's probably not such a good omen for the next year.' I said as I bit through the pain and tried to push my shoulder back. 'Let me see that.' He said as he touched my shoulder. 'Hang on, this'll hurt for a bit.' He said as he punched it back in, I yelped and accidentaly bit my lip.

'Did you go Christmas shopping?' He asked as he gestured at the bags on the ground. 'Yeah, I couldn't find any time for it earlier so I'm pretty late.' I said shamefully as I picked them up. 'Come, I'll walk you home.' He said as he took my hand and started walking. 'Where do you live?' He asked as he stopped at the exit. 'I don't know the street name. I keep forgetting it but I do know how to get there.' I said clumsily as I blushed. 'Your'e not from here then, are you?' He asked as we crossed the street. 'No, I've only lived here for amonth now but I still can't remember it.' 'Where' you from?' 'I'm from the Netherlands. A roaring Dutchie.'

'The Netherlands? You sound as American as can be.' He said surprised. 'I do? I never really noticed.' I said humbly. 'How's your shoulder? Feeling better?' He asked as he looked at me over his shoulder. 'Much better thanks to you. Saved me twice on one evening, thanks.' I said as I grinned. 'That's alright, glad that I could help.' 'We're here, thanks for walking along and sorry for wasting your time.' 'No problem and I don't mind people wasting my time. Make sure that you put some ice on that shoulder.' He said as he smiled and wiped some dirt off my face. 'Maybe I'll see you around sometime. Bye.' He turned around and walked away through the snow. 'Yeah, see you around.' I said as I waved until he'd disappeared from sight.

'Sorry I'm late.' I said as I walked in. Everyone shot up and looked at me. 'You can't stay out for so long! We were worried sick!' Alexis said. 'Yeah what were you thinking?' Castle agreed. 'Why are you so late, dear?' Martha asked as she led me to the couch. 'Well, at the graveyard there were some guys who tried to assault me and they worked me to the ground.' They all gasped at once and nodded at me to continue. 'But then this boy came out of nowhere and knocked them all out, he saved me.' 'A boy saved you?' Castle asked, I nodded happily. 'And then he relocated my shoulder and walked me home.' I said as I slowly took off my jacket. 'Sounds like a prince.' Alexis said. 'He was like a prince…' I said dreamily as I smiled.

- I gave everyone their Christmas presents and saw how happy they all were. Turned out that Castle had been trying to get into the old books room for years now but that the man wouldn't let him in. Alexis' last bracelet broke so she was overjoyed with the one I gave her and Martha loved the scarf, saying that it was her favourite colour. Beckett turned out to be a snow globe collector, Esposito a good cook and Ryan turned out to be addicted to games. My eye for what people like hadn't changed. -

'This is from all of us.' Martha said as she handed me a box. I opened it and stared at its content. 'You can start school after Christmas break.' Castle said. 'School? Really?' I said with disbelief. 'Ofcourse, it's only normal.' Martha said. 'Thanks so much! This really means a lot to me.' 'Oh and I have something for you, more of a practical gift but I still think that you'll find it very useful.' Castle said as he handed me a box wrapped in reindeer gift paper. I opened it and looked at him in awe, instantly recognising it. 'An iPhone?' I said amazed. 'Yeah I got one too. They're great and now I can call you when something happens and the other way around.' He said as he smiled. 'Thanks so much!' I said as I gave everyone a big hug.

-Thanks for reading, another chapter next week! Please R&R!-


	4. Chapter 4

**School and… You?**

Break was over before I knew it and I was nervous for my first day at school. I hadn't been sleeping for an entire week and had trouble with keeping my eyes open. I introduced myself in front of the class as I kept my eyes on a remote spot on the wall, looking over all the students' heads. 'Okay Haylee, take a seat.' The teacher said as he gestured at the only free seat at the back of the class. I sat down, nervous and avoiding anyone who looked at me. I didn't share even one class with Alexis and was a bit worried about it. I looked at what the teacher was writing on the blackboard and realised that I'd already learned about the subject. I tried my best to pay attention but couldn't get it together and closed my eyes for a bit, trying to make it look as if I was reading. 'Miss Sade, please try to keep up. The teacher woke me, followed by the giggles of the other students. 'Oh right, sorry.' I looked at the blackboard and nodded. 'If you multiply the variables x and y with the square root of 254 which is 15,94 you'll get the answer.' I said as I rubbed my eyes and straightened my back. 'That's… right.' He said astonished as he walked back to the board and wrote it down. I felt how everyone was staring at me, their eyes drilling into my skin.

I sighed as the bell rang, indicating the start of morning break. I laid my head on the table, figuring that I hadn't made such a good first impression. Someone tapped my head, I looked up in a daze and nearly fell out of my chair when I recognised the boy who saved me. 'Didn't expect to find you here.' He said as he smiled. 'I… transferred to this school.' I said as I recovered my calm. 'How are you?' He asked. 'Okay I guess. Just really tired…' I said as I yawned. 'Haven't you been sleeping well then?' 'Not at all for the past week. Whenever I do manage to fall asleep I wake up, sweating and panting.' 'Maybe you worry too much.' He said. 'Maybe… How are you? Saved any girls lately?' I said, quickly changing the subject. 'Nope, didn't have to. Not all girls fall into the hands of perverts as easily as you.' He said. 'That's mean. I can look after myself, they just surprised me and attacked me from behind.' I said defensively. 'I'm sure you can.' He said sarcastically. I stood up and walked to the window. 'But things always happen for a reason, right?' I said as I turned back to him.

'I don't know, some things just happen without one if you ask me.' 'Want a cookie?' I said as I held up a pack of cookies. 'Not very subtle change of the subject but sure.' He said as he took one of the cookies from me. 'I still don't know your name.' I said as I walked to my locker. 'Then I'll introduce myself.' He said as he stood in front of me and held out his hand. 'Mayze Reed, nice to meet you Haylee.' I shook his hand and smiled. 'Mayze is a pretty name.' I said as I opened my locker, threw in my maths books and got my English books out. 'Haylee is too.' He countered. 'Haylee Sade means Shadow Crown.' I said, loving the meaning of my name. 'I have no idea what my name means bu tit suits you. You got English after this?' I nodded and sighed. 'I just hope that I can stay awake.' 'Sure you can, just put in some extra effort. I'll see you around.' He said as he waved and walked away. 'Yeah, see you.' I said as I turned around as well, finding three girls blocking my way.

'Can I help you?' I asked. 'Yes you can.' The middle one said. 'Stay away from Mayze.' She sounded threatening but I wasn't the least bit impressed. 'Why?' I asked curiously. 'Because he's mine. So keep your hands off him, miracle kid.' With that she walked away, the other two girls following in her footsteps. 'Hooray.' I said as I walked to my next class

Alexis texted me that she was going to sleep over at her boyfriend's and that I should walk back by myself. 'Hey, you done for the day?' Mayze said as he walked beside me. 'What? Yeah, I'm done.' I said sleepily. 'You look a little pale, maybe you should sit down for a bit.' He said as he looked at my face. 'What're you talking about? I'm fine.' I said, sounding like a drunk. 'That's obviously not fine, here sit down.' He said as he sat me down on a stone wall, the snow instantly melting. He sat down beside me and sighed. 'You really have to sleep. Take some sleeping pills tonight, I'm sure that'll help.' He said as he looked at me. 'Hey Haylee, you listening?' He said as he leaned forward. 'You're asleep…' 'Almost…' I mumbled as I lay my head on his shoulder. 'Come on Haylee, you have to walk home…' He said as he shook my head off. He sighed again, picked me up and started walking.

I woke up and realised that I was home, on the couch. I shot up and looked around to find Mayze sitting next to me with small reading glasses on, reading a book. 'Finally awake, huh?' He said as he looked my way. 'What happened?' I asked as I sat up straight. 'You fell asleep on the way back, I brought you here.' He said. 'I fell asleep… I slept without waking up.' I said cheerfully. 'Wait you brought me here? Did you call a cab?' He shook his head. 'I carried you.' He said as he took his glasses off. 'The whole way?' I said surprised. 'Yeah, you're actually lighter than you look.' He laughed. 'I'm so sorry, I'm always such a cluts…' I apologised as I put my hands in front of my eyes. 'Don't worry about it, it's not big deal.' He said as he pulled them away and looked at me.

'But… Do you have a girlfriend?' I blurted it out and instantly felt my face flush. He frowned surprised and leaned back. 'No, why the sudden interest?' 'Some girl came to me at school today, she said that I had to stay away from you because you were hers.' 'A blonde, not so tall and with two other girls?' I nodded at the vague but fitting description. 'That's Cindy. She's got this strange kind of obsession with me since first grade. Don't mind her.' He said carelessly. 'Obsession? That sounds creepy.' I said as I shivered and hugged myself for warmth. 'It gives me the creeps so I try to avoid her as much as possible. But how was your first day at school, beside Cindy?' I got a blanket from the other couch and wrapped it around me. 'It was okay, though I don't think I left such a good impression.' 'Mostly they're pretty nice to newcomers, maybe they're a little scared because of… you know.' 'Yeah I know… Aren't you scared or anything then?' 'I'm an insensitive bastard, I always speak my thoughts and I'm not afraid of hurting people. You should be the one who's afraid.' 'I'm used to that. My best friend back in the Netherlands was exactly the same.' I said as I grinned.

'Oh but I do have to warn you about one of the teachers. He's ex marine and he's just evil. He'll search for a weakness and then use it against you.' 'What does he teach?' I asked curiously. 'PE, what else?' 'PE? Seriously? That's just great…' I said with a sigh. 'Why?' 'I'm as limp as a towel, I have zero muscles.' I said as I gestured at my skinny arms. 'Don't worry, he's always nicer to girls.' 'Really?' I asked hopefully. 'Well no but he wants to make it look that way.' He admitted. 'But I have to go, my mom will get worried.' He said as he stood up. 'Oh, yeah ofcourse.' I said as I followed him to the door and opened it. 'I'll see you tomorrow morning.' He said. 'What subject?' 'PE.' He said as he smiled, waved and walked away. I closed the door and walked back to the couch. 'I'm going to die…'

-Thanks for reading, another chapter next week! Please R&R!-


	5. Chapter 5

**Torture and…**** Treachery?**

I considered calling in sick after a night of finally sleeping normally but then figured that I wouldn't be able to run from PE class forever. I got into my uniform and joined my class, trying to look strong and confident. 'We've got a new student. Haylee Sade?' 'Yes, sir?' I said with a strong voice. He laughed and walked up to me. 'I've been training these rookies for half a year now, you think you're as good as them?' 'I don't know, sir.' I said, scared at the expression he made. 'You're not!' He yelled as several drops of spit landed on my face. 'Go and run 15 laps! Now!' He yelled as he pointed at the indoor track. 'Yes, sir.' I said as I started running, not too fast but not slow either. I was already at my limit when I started the 6th lap and slowed down a bit. 'Come on! Faster!' He immediately yelled. I went faster again, a burning pain in the muscles in my legs.

I made it to the 10th lap before crashing to the ground, breathing heavily and with a harsh pain in my legs. 'Get up! 5 More!' He yelled. 'I… can't… anymore…' I stumbled as I lay on my back. 'Someone get her out of my sight!' He said as he gestured at the row of students. Mayze quickly walked up to me and dragged me into the dressing room. 'You did great. I honestly thought you'd stop at 4.' A bright red tree popped up out of nowhere beside him, I frowned and then laughed as I reached out to it. 'Tree…' I mumbled as I grinned idiotically. 'Tree?' He said surprised. 'Yaaa! Roar at the lion.' I said as I growled at the lion that lay sleeping a little further away. 'What the… Are you hallucinating?' He said as he grabbed my shoulders and shook. 'I… byebye.' I said as I passed out.

I slowly opened my eyes and shrieked as I saw the face of the nurse very close to mine. 'Finally, thought you'd never come to.' She said annoyed as she stepped back. 'What happened?' I asked as I sat up and rubbed my sore head. 'You were hallucinating from overexertion, then you passed out and he brought you here.' The nurse explained as she gestured at Mayze who sat a little further away, he smiled kindly. 'You're the third this year. That PE teacher is just too harsh on kids like yourselves.' She said as she gave me a glass of water. 'Thanks.' I said as I took it and drank it all in three gulps. 'You should stay here for a while seeing the fact that you can barely walk. And you look tired, get some sleep.' She said as she walked away. Mayze sat down beside the bed and laughed. 'You sounded like a drunk when you yelled: Roar at the lion!' I flushed and sighed. 'I said that?' 'Yeah and something about a tree. But you did laugh like you meant it.' 'Sorry that you had to help me… again.'

'It's no big deal, I chose to drag you out of the gym after all. But you should get some rest now. Will you wait for me? Then we can walk home together.' He said. 'Yeah, ofcourse.' I said as I smiled. 'Where should I wait?' 'Come to room 009 though I might be a little grumpy after that French class.' He said as he stood up and walked to the door. 'Yeah, I'll be there.' I said as I watched him walk out the door. 'Is he your boyfriend or something?' The nurse asked as she peeked around the corner. 'No, we're just friends.' I said, wondering if that was true. She frowned and nodded sarcastically making an 'uhu' sound. I sighed with a smile and lay down, closing my eyes and thinking of happy things.

I woke up to a voice and opened my eyes. The nurse stood by my bed and looked at me. 'You better go see that boy now. The last bell just rang.' I sat up and swung my legs off the bed, groaning at how sore they were. 'Thanks for everything.' I said as I walked out of the infirmary and made my way down the stairs to room 009. I walked into the hallway but froze when I saw them. Cindy was kissing Mayze as if her life depended on it. I turned and walked away as fast as I could as a tear streamed down my cheek. I walked out the door and into the cold. 'Haylee, wait!' He said as he came after me. 'Hold on for a second, let me explain!' I walked on, pretending that I didn't hear him. 'What am I doing? I said that we were just friends…' I thought. 'Stop!' He grabbed my shoulder and turned me around.

'She kissed me, I didn't do anything.' 'I could see that.' I said as I looked away, avoiding his eyes. 'She surprised me, I told you how she gives me the creeps, didn't I?' 'It's fine. We're just friends after all, I'm happy for you.' Just as I wanted to turn around he leaned forward and kissed me fiercely. 'I want to be so much more than just friends.' He said as he wiped my tears away and put his arms around me. 'I love you.' I admitted as I did the same. 'I love you too.' He said as he kissed me again, more calm this time. 'Come, I want to show you something.' He said as he took my hand and started walking.

He took me all the way to central park and led me to a busy area. 'Here, look.' He said as he crouched down and held a tree branch out of the way. I crouched down beside him and looked at the flowers, all blooming even though it was cold and snowy. 'They're called Bell Snowdrops.' He said as he smiled at the amazed expression on my face. 'They're beautiful.' I said. 'There are many different kinds of flowers but I like the snowdrops the best.' He said as he stood back up. 'Why?' 'Because they bloom during the winter making them different from all others.'

'Put your hands behind your head!' Someone suddenly yelled. I impulsively did as asked as I turned around. 'Detective Beckett…' I said as I slowly lowered them, keeping my eyes on the gun she was holding. 'Get away from him, Haylee.' She said. 'What? Why? Did you do anything?' I asked as I turned to Mayze. 'I wouldn't know what…' He said as he looked at me, his hands still behind his head. 'Go on, I'll be fine. I didn't do anything wrong.' 'We'll see about that.' Beckett said as she stepped forward and cuffed him. Castle stood beside me as he frowned. 'Who's he?' 'He's the boy who saved me at the graveyard. He's my…' I broke off, not sure what to say. 'Why does he have to go along? What did he do wrong?' 'He bought a diamond saw just two days before the stadium incident and his DNA was found on one of the metal bars.' He explained as he led me to the car. 'What? You're saying that he did it? But he…' I silently got in the car and convinced myself that they were wrong.

We got to the police station faster than I expected and walked in. We went into the small room beside the interrogation room and looked through the window. Mayze sat at the table, looking calm as always. Beckett sat down opposite to him, a certain relief on her face. 'Why did you buy a diamond saw?' She asked briefly. 'A diamond saw? Oh, my dad asked me if I could buy him one so that he could get on with the chores at his house.' 'His house. Your parents are divorced?' 'Yeah, I only see him like once a month and that's still too often if you ask me.' He said annoyed. 'So you bought it for your dad, didn't he have money to buy it?' 'Apparently not, he said that it's my duty as his son to lend him some money. I said that I'd buy him the saw if he'd not ask me anything ever again. He promised me, the saw was on sale anyway. What's this about?' 'The stadium roof that collapsed last month was caused by a sawn metal bar and only a diamond saw can make such a clean cut.' She explained.

-Thanks for reading, another chapter next week! Please R&R!-


	6. Chapter 6

**Remember remember the fifth of November**

'You think my he did it? My dad?' He asked with disbelief. 'Stay here.' She said as she walked out. Mayze put his elbows on the table and rested his head on his hands, shaking his head as he did so. 'It was a 69% match, right? Then maybe it is his father.' She said as she walked in. 'Let him go and bring in his father.' She said at last. I walked out of the small room and threw my arms around him as he walked out of the interrogation room. 'If it's true then I understand if you'd want nothing to do with me anymore.' He said as he looked at me. 'Ofcourse not! It wasn't your fault at all. Please don't say things like that…' I said as I looked into his eyes.

I let out a small yell when something hit my leg, I looked down and saw a small boy kicking it repeadetly. 'Hey hey, stop it.' I said as I crouched down and looked at him. He stuck out his tongue, poked me in the eyes and ran away as he laughed. 'Sorry, that's my grandnefew. I promised my niece I'd watch him.' Ryan said as he chased after the little kid. I got back up and rubbed my eyes. 'That's one violent kid…' I mumbled as I sighed. 'You okay?' Mayze asked. 'Yeah fine, one of my friends had a little brother who didn't like me much either.' I said as I remembered how he'd painted on me as I slept and how he'd hit me with sticks and rocks, she always said that it was his way of telling me he liked me but I never saw it that way.

They brought Thomas Reed, Mayze's father, in after an hour. He glared at his son on passing by. 'You can't watch it.' Beckett said to Mayze. 'Please wait here.' She said as she walked into the interrogation room. 'Want me to wait here with you?' I asked. 'No it's fine, you can tell me what he said later.' He said as he gestured at the small room. 'You sure?' 'Yes I'm sure, go on.' I nodded and walked into the small room, closing the door behind me.

Beckett stood behind the table and Thomas sat in the chair Mayze was just in. 'I did it.' He said almost immediately with an excited expression on his face. 'Why?' 'There is an old rhyme. Maybe you've heard of it.

Remember, remember the fifth of November,

gunpowder, treason and plot,

I see no reason why gunpowder treason

should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes,

It was his intent

to blow up the King and the Parliament.

Three score barrels of powder below,

Poor old England to overthrow:

By God's providence he was catch'd

With a dark lantern and burning match.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, make the bells ring.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

Hip hip hoorah!

I just wanted to make sure that America had a day like that too though maybe I should've gone for something bigger.' He sounded rather happy about it. I heard a phone ringing, we all looked around only to realise that it was Beckett's phone. She walked out, telling a police officer to watch him in the meantime. The officer stood by the door and kept a close eye on the man. 'Sorry sir but I'm going down like Fawkes.' He said as he got out a comb, got a blade from its handle and slit his throat without hesitation. A sickening sound as if someone was choking filled the room. I staggered backwards as my eyes widened, put my hands over my ears and yelled. The door of the small room bashed open and Mayze ran in, looking at me. 'What's wrong? What happened?' He asked. He followed my gaze and looked into the room where Beckett and the police officer stood looking at the body.

'Don't look!' I said as I stood behind him and held my hands in front of his eyes, feeling how wet they were. I turned him toward me and took them away, seeing how he was crying. 'I'm sorry.' I said as I put my arms around him, he laid his head on my shoulder and quietly cried. I led him out of the room and took him outside of the building. He dried his tears and let out a sigh. 'I didn't like him at all but he was still my dad.' He said as he looked up at the sky. 'They grow here too.' I said as I crouched down and looked at the bushes, at the edge grew several bell snowdrops. 'I think they're here for you.' I said as I looked at him over my shoulder. He crouched beside me and smiled. 'For us.'

-Thanks for reading, another chapter next week! Please R&R!-


	7. Chapter 7

**The flowers ****continue to bloom for us  
><strong>  
>The funeral was five days later, after Lanie had performed autopsy on the body and when every protocol had been honoured. I was invited as well and walked to the graveyard while wearing mainly black clothes. Mayze was waiting for me at the church entrance and greeted me with a kiss and a hug. We hadn't talked much the past few days, he stayed home some days to help his mother and when he was at school we just spent time together in silence. 'I'm sorry for kind of ignoring you the past days.' He said as we walked in. 'Doesn't matter, I can talk to you without using words.' I said as I smiled at him. 'Thanks for sticking with me.' He suddenly said. 'Ofcourse. Why wouldn't I?' 'Because he did it…' He said briefly. 'I'm going to tell you this once more. You're not him, I won't blame you for what he did!' I said convincingly. 'Okay okay, got it. You think I should introduce you to my mom now or later?' He asked. 'Depends, how is she taking it?' I asked as I looked around for her. 'She takes it well. In fact. When I told her, she laughed. When I told her that I wasn't joking, she laughed harder. She didn't even want to come.' He said, sounding like a typical *FML message.<p>

*FML - Fuck My Life, a site that allows people to share their daily life stories. .com

'Okay, in that case yes. I think…' I said as I spotted a woman in the crowd who didn't seem to have much trouble with it. He took me to her, confirming that she was his mother, and introduced me as his 'girlfriend'. I was so overjoyed when I heard him say that that I was having trouble with staying calm. 'Nice to meet you Haylee. I'm really sorry that you have to be here, it must be hard for you.' She said as she shook my hand, her face not showing any emotion. 'It's fine and nice to meet you too.' I said as I smiled, honestly thinking that she wasn't all right up in the head.

The ceremony was nice although the pastor didn't say many nice things about him, only that he was someone who would surely be going to Hell. Nearly everyone nodded in agreement, even his family. I walked out of the graveyard as they burried him, figuring that I didn't really want to be with that. 'Hey.' Mayze said as he stood beside me. 'Hey, sorry for not staying…' I apologised as I looked at him from the corners of my eyes. 'Doesn't matter, I get it.' He said understandingly. 'Would you mind coming along to my house? I don't really want to be alone now and my mom isn't the best company.' He asked it in a shy manner which wasn't like him at all. 'Sure, I'll just tell Castle that I won't be coming home.' I said as I got my phone out of my pocket, went to my contacts and tapped his name.

'Hey, I just wanted to tell you that I'll be staying at Mayze's.' 'You're not going to-.' 'No! Ofcourse not!' I said emberassed. 'Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then. Have fun.' He said as he hung up. 'Have fun' didn't seem right at all but I didn't mind, he meant well. 'Come on, let's go.' He said as he took my hand and led me through the streets. 'Shouldn't you wait for your mom?' I asked. 'No, she already left after the church ceremony.' He said coldly. 'Oh that's… nice.' I said clumsily. 'My thoughts exactly.' He said as he turned the corner.

He took me up to his room which was small but cozy and sat down on the bed. 'You got a nice room.' I said as I sat beside him and laid my hands on my lap. 'You're hands are all red.' He said as he took them into his own. 'I forgot my gloves, didn't you notice before?' I asked as I grinned. 'No, not at all.' He said as he brought them up to his mouth and gently kissed them. 'I wonder what would've happened if we hadn't met at the graveyard.' I said as I got my hands back from him. 'I would've just fallen for you at school then and I would've tried everything to make you mine.' He said as he pushed me over and kissed me. 'And you would've succeeded.'

-Last Chapter, got this story from one of my very imaginative dreams -_-"  
>Please R&amp;R and tell me what you think! Tell me what's good and what's bad, stuff like that ^-^ -<p> 


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